Two of the top rushers in college football will compete in the final game of the 2017 season when the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to the West Coast to take on the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal, on 8 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC (live stream).
Notre Dame vs. Stanford 2017 live stream: Start time and how to watch online
Two big-time rushers will face off in the regular season Week 13 finale.
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Despite injuring his ankle last week, RB Bryce Love came back after halftime against Cal to notch his ninth (!) 100-yard game of the season. His 1,723 yards for Stanford so far this season, make him third in career rushing yards in program history. (He also has 16 touchdowns, which ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 7 nationally.)
For the Fighting Irish, Josh Adams had a hell of a game against Navy, with 106 rushing yards on 18 carries. It wasn’t his biggest game of the season, but in poor weather conditions, being able to rely on the ground game is huge. Adams has 1,330 rushing yards so far this season and nine touchdowns.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
Notre Dame vs. Stanford news:
- There hasn’t been much movement on the Notre Dame offense’s depth chart this season, and that’s a welcome change from the past couple of years.
- RB Bryce Love fought through an ankle injury to claim another rushing record for Stanford in his gritty 100-plus yard performance last weekend.
Despite being in what Cardinal head coach David Shaw called “agonizing pain”, Love showed mental and physical toughness by coming back in the second half. He was able to take a 57-yard run to the house on the first Stanford drive of the half, putting them up 17-6.
- The CFP might be out of reach for the Fighting Irish, but finishing off the season strong will cement the resurgence of the program this year.
Notre Dame is running the football and playing sound defense. Even now, the Irish are 6th in the country in rushing yards per game (290) and a respectable 25th in scoring defense (20.4 ppg). They are also 19th in the country in scoring offense with 36.7 points per game.
What does the postseason look like for these teams?
Notre Dame doesn’t have a chance to compete in a conference championship, and without an extra win, likely won’t get a ticket to the College Football Playoff. Following a 4-8 season, the Fighting Irish should still get into a notable bowl game which at least shows that the program is on an upward trend.
On the other sideline, Stanford will be fighting for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship. Unfortunately, the Cardinal’s fate isn’t exactly in their own hands. Instead, their postseason destiny is predicated on the Washington-Washington State game; if the Huskies win, Stanford clinches the North and would play USC in the title game.
Notre Dame vs. Stanford prediction:
Stanford should create some problems for Brian Kelly and his Fighting Irish, but if Love isn’t full-go come kick-off they might have a harder time staying in the game. Barring any last-minute issues with Love’s ankle, the Cardinals get the win and hope to see the field again for a division title.
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